Various forms of exercise and exercise apparatus have been known from the time of the ancient civilizations. In recent years exercise has become a lucrative as well as beneficial endeavor. Though there is a great proliferation of gyms and studios dedicated to a wide variety of exercises, many people still prefer to exercise at home at their own convenience and on their own schedule. As a result, there have been a number of exercise devices and aids to assist in enabling an individual to maintain his or her own regimen. Since some exercise equipment can be quite expensive as well as requiring considerable space in the home, exercise enthusiasts have endeavored to construct devices to work various parts of the body using simple means that require minimal storage space. This is especially true of an exercise apparatus to work the muscles of the upper torso.
In U.S. Pat. No. 1,402,179, Piscitelli describes a shoulder harness having a rigid back member with a guide through which a series of elastic bands are slidably passed. The bands extend forward on each side and terminate with hand grips. The user can have one grip in each hand and stretch the bands evenly with both arms extended or with one arm close to the body and the other arm extended. A waist band helps to keep the harness in place. This exercise harness provides limited range of movement and the bands can rub against the back of the arms which can make any benefit problematic.
Raabe, in U.S. Pat. No. 650,656, teaches the use of long straps that are attached to a waist band at the back, extend over the shoulders and are attached to the waist band in the front. There is a cross strap at the upper back with pads inside where the cross strap attaches to the long straps. Upper rings are attached over the pads and lower rings at the waist in back. Elastic bands with hand grips are affixed to the upper rings and the user can stretch his or her arms forward or to the side against the resistance of the elastic. Elastic bands with foot straps are attached to the lower rings. The user can use both sets of elastic bands when walking or running. The elastic bands can rub against the backs of the arms and against the legs to limit the range of movement.
A similar set of straps is taught by Vernon in U.S. Pat. No. 6,659,921. This exercise device has a rigid shoulder piece or yoke, a waist band, and adjustable vertical straps. There are upper attachment points at each side of the shoulder piece and lower attachment points on each side of the waist band for the attachment of one end of each of a series of elastic bands. There are hand grips on the other ends of the elastic bands. The user selects the upper or lower points and each provides resistance exercises for different muscles groups. An alternative embodiment uses crossed elastic bands threaded through tubes so that the user can select the upper or lower sets or use one upper and the opposite lower to pull the same elastic band from both ends. Panels attached at the shoulder and waist can provide compartments for other possessions or to hold a water bottle. Weinstein discloses another strap arrangement, with the straps crossed in back and attached to a waistband. There are attachment points in the front on the upper part of the straps for short elastics with hand grips and on the waist band for long elastics with foot straps. There are also elastic bands attached at the back of the waist band to be stretched over the shoulders and pulled forward. This device provides no body support and attaching the leg bands in front could cause tripping. (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0282689)
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,792,034, Kozlovsky describes a vest-like flexible shell made up of an upper shoulder section and lower torso section that adheres closely to the body. Adjustable vertical straps in front and a wide waist band keep the shell in place. There is a housing at the center back through which elastic bands are passed. The upper bands are a set of three that pass through the housing and extend over each shoulder terminating with a hand grip. The bands also pass over rollers and through guides for smooth movement and minimal abrasion. The upper bands move freely through the housing and can be extended at the same distance by having both hands pull at the same time or at longer distances by having one hand pulling at a time. There are two distinct sets of lower bands which both extend from the housing, over rollers, through the guides, downward terminating with foot straps. All of the lower elastic bands have end stops which are retained within slots in the housing. Each set of bands is comprised of three strands of different resistances. Each band may be used with one, two or three strands at a time allowing for five different resistances. A second embodiment permits the vest to be extended or contracted in length according to the height of the user. The vest is removed to change the resistance. The user must remove the cover from the housing and remove or reinsert one or more of the strands. The upper bands can only be used by passing them over the shoulders so the range of movements is considerably limited.
An exercise vest is taught by Davis in U.S. Pat. No. 6,691,318. This vest is closed by two clasps at the front. There is one ring attached at the top of each shoulder and one ring on each side at waist level. Elastic bands extend through the shoulder ring and through the side ring along each side of the vest. Hand grips prevent the bands from sliding back through the rings. The bands are guided by sewn channels along each side of the back of the vest. If the user selects to use the upper grips, the bands are pulled until the hand grips at the lower ends are stopped by the waist rings and vice versa. Other than the use from the shoulder or the waist, the bands are not adjustable and the resistance is always the same. The fabric guides at the back of the vest are curved and will pucker when the bands are pulled tight during use causing stress on the fabric.
There is a need for an exercise vest that enables the user to perform upper body exercises over a wide range of movements. There is a need for an exercise vest that is flexible yet supports the upper body during exercise and can be adjusted to the size of the user. There is a need for an exercise vest in which the resistance can be altered according to preference without having to add or remove any parts. There is a need for an exercise vest that enables the user to exercise one arm at a time if desired and which can be used when standing or seated.